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Les Miller |
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Wood finishing is a generic term for coating the bare grain of the timber for some purpose. Old style materials. such as French polish and bees wax, are still used in situations where an old piece is being restored or where the maker has a preference for this finish. A huge part of this wood finishing process involves Radiata Pine, stained to simulate a more expensive species then coated with a single pot polyurethane and / or an oil or wax.
Unfortunately this process is not as straightforward as one may expect because the Radiata is so inconsistent in its density that the stain penetrates unevenly resulting in an "unhappy" blotchy result. The following outlines the manner in which Feast Watson have addressed this problem. They have created a process which gives the finisher a great deal more control over the staining and finishing process.Let's begin at the machine-planed surface because this is a common source of concern. The cutters of the thicknesser leave a pattern of cutter marks and these must be removed completely. Unless the hand plane is very sharp and in well experienced hands, it is just as well to simply sand the marks away with a random orbital sander fitted with 180 grit aluminium oxide abrasive paper. When the machine marks are gone sand with 240 grit and then 340 or 400 to produce a smooth surface. Clean the surface with a tack cloth to remove any dust on the surface and apply a coat of Fungishield. This creates a surface which will accept stain evenly, minimising the blotchy appearance so common in the staining of Radiata. Before applying the stain it is important to treat the end grain. One of the most common disappointments is the extent of the stain penetration on end grain of any timber. This is particularly obvious in Radiata. Sand smooth to 400 grit and then seal the end grain with Sanding Sealer. Shellac will act as a useful substitute if Sanding Sealer is not available. Before applying the Proof Tint stain the Radiata surface should be given a coat of Fungishield. Leave it for five or six hours to set in the cells. This will partially seal the face grain of the Radiata so that the "blotchiness" is overcome. If the Proof Tint stain is diluted with Fungishield it greatly improves the level of control over the finished staining. Having completed the staining operation the surface can be coated with a variety of finishing products which are well detailed in the Feast Watson product catalogue. I personally never put Proof Tint in the finishing material but some people do and achieve good results. If the final finish is to be Fine Buffing Oil then the stained timber needs to be given a couple of coats of Feast Watson Satinproof to establish a tough surface which will support the texture and 'feel" of the oiled finished product. Radiata is more difficult to finish than hard cabinet timbers where the cell structure is more receptive to the creation of a finishable surface.
Les Miller |
Woodworkers' Association of NSW Inc.
